Technically speaking, both our hands are identical: each with one thumb and four fingers. But when it comes to how these five digits are arranged, the right and left hands differ. It’s something you learn even before starting school: on your right hand, your thumb is on the left – and vice versa. So no matter how much you turn or rotate your hands, they will never look exactly the same. “This phenomenon is known as chirality,” explains ETH researcher Carin Lightner. “And it can also be seen in molecules: the same atoms, but a different orientation.”

In pharmacology, chirality can decide whether a drug is beneficial, ineffective or even harmful. One way to determine the chirality of a molecule is to measure raman optical activity (ROA). While this method of optical measurement is accurate, it is also complex. That's where Carin Lightner’s innovation comes in.

As part of her doctoral thesis at ETH Zurich, Carin Lightner conceived an entirely new setup for measuring ROA. Originally, she expected this to take six weeks. Then it turned into two years. “The breakthrough came thanks to collaboration with researchers in the field of solar astronomy. They had developed a camera that was ideally suited for this method,” explains Carin Lightner.

Applying the ROA method has become much easier and faster as a result, and extensive expertise is no longer required to operate the system. Carin Lightner’s innovative setup soon piqued the interest of other researchers. “When people who are exposed to cutting-edge technology on a daily basis get really passionate about something, that’s when you know you’re close to uncovering an innovation with truly amazing potential.”

With this idea behind her, Carin Lightner applied for BRIDGE funding in 2023. Looking back, this was a decisive step: “Proving the feasibility of my idea – developing a commercial proof of concept, in other words – was a time-consuming process. The BRIDGE funding from Innosuisse and the SNSF allowed me to invest the time that was needed.”

Instead of testing her method on lots of more or less random molecules, she took the opportunity at this early stage to approach potential customers in the pharmacology industry. “I asked them to make their molecules available to me for analysis.” A complex procedure – but crucial in order to tailor the technology to the needs of the industry. “I was in direct contact with them and was able to ask questions such as: Am I providing you with the right information? How is the quality of the data?”

The path from lab to start-up is a challenging one for founders. Many ideas fall by the wayside before they are really able to pick up speed. “That’s why BRIDGE was so important to me – because that’s exactly what it is: a bridge between research and entrepreneurship,” says Carin Lightner. “The funding ensured our survival in this first year. Without BRIDGE, it would have been difficult – and maybe even impossible.”

Carin Lightner founded the start-up Enantios in 2024 – and in so doing not only launched an Innosuisse innovation project together with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), but also raised more than CHF 1.8 million in growth capital in a first seed round. In addition to its easy-to-use ROA measurement instrument, Enantios also offers measurements as a service. The service sector is particularly important when it comes to gaining a foothold in the rather conservative pharmaceutical industry: “Many laboratories don’t want to buy a new device right away. First, they want to find out if the method is right for them,” she explains.

Winning customers, growing and accessing new markets: these are the next crucial steps for Enantios. The primary target group is companies and departments that are active in the development of new drugs. Carin Lightner is also eyeing up the production sector, however: “The drug development phase is usually when early decisions are made about how subsequent quality control will be ensured in production. Our method is suitable for this as well.”